Toy aeroplane



March 31, 1936. I c. R. BUTCHER TOY AEROPLANE Filed April 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l L um DAL/0E Burr/15p Inventor v Attorney March 31, 1936- c. R. BUTCHER 2,035,531

TOY AEROPLANE Filed April 15, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Z AUDE Q Burr/15 Inventor Attorney March 31, 1936- c, R. BUTCHER 2,035,531

' TOY AEROPLANE? 4 Filed April 15,1955 5 S heebs shet. s

Z3 2? E y- [Zn um- AZ 54/ 7015 7 Inventor A ttormz'y Panama. 31, 1936 I 2,035,531

UNITED S'TATES .PA

} 'rorAEROrLn E 2 Claude R. Butcher," Pullman," Wash. iti er nt 15, 1935, serial No, 6,451" H r p w5'Cl aims. 1 (01. 46-75) My present invention relates to improvements from the stemyand of course/the toy isslipped in'toyaeroplanes, of the type 'ada'ptedto be pro-. down over theupperendof the stein, to its lower jecte'drverticallyinto the air andimpelied orlifted endbefore thetoy. is'projected from thestem. by action of a propeller of the gyrocopter type to v, I Thetoy approximates the shape andform of an a suitable height,'after whichthe toy glides to aeroplane,v and comprises aflat, vertically; ar- 5 the groundto completeits flight In operating ranged blade3, which-may be made from'balsa the toy, a spiral screw: or, threaded stem is held a wood, or the blade maybe fashioned on a skeleton in one hand, and the rotation of the propeller, frame-with a covering, if desired, or the blade and ascension of the aeroplane are caused by may be fashioned in other suitablemanner; 7 lo 'co-action of the propeller device with the spiral Near the rear end of the-longitudinalflat blade-" ste'm. A slide-projector. isgrasped in the other or body, a transversely disposed plane l is fixed hand and slid up the stem to cause revolutions of inhorizontai position, and the blade terminates the propeller and at the same time cause thein a rudder 5 that isintegral with the blade. aeroplane to be lifted or projected vertic'allyfrom I At its front end theblade is provided with a the stemfor the initial or ascending movement "pointed nose 6, of metal, as aluminum, and a 1 of its flight. complementary nose-plate lis used-with the rear Automatically adjustable gliding-wings or end of the nose to form a head in which a sleeve planes are mountedon theaeroplane, which'be- 8 is fashioned; The rear ends of the nose and come effective, after the ascension, to act as the nose plate are spaced slightly apart and they l gliders and permit" the aeroplane to glide to the are fastened together, through the front endof- 2U ground to complete its flight. the blade in order that t plates and blade-may The invention consists in certain novel combi- I form a rigid structure, with the vertically extendnations and arrangements of partsin the 'coning sleeve 8 just forward of-the front end of the struction and for the operation of the toy as will blade At the rear of the sleeve an-arcuate slot hereinafter bemore fully set forth'anti claimed. 9 is formed which extends through the two-plates 25 In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated, 6 and] and the front end of the blade, forya one complete example of the physical embodiment purpose to be described. 7

of my invention wherein the parts are combined 1 Within the sleeve is rigidly'mounted agtubular and arranged according to the best mode I have mast, Or p st "I, of l t metal as a um num-and thus far devised for the practical application 'of t th lower ,Q thisiiubular'post vis p a 30 theprinciples of my invention. indicated in Figure V4, in order that the post may Figure 1 is a perspective'view of th toy be rigidly secured in the lower end of the sleeve. plane ready for operation. 1 The tubular post or mast slips downfrom the Figure 2 is aside view of the aeroplane sepaupper end of the stem to, near its lower-end, and rated from its stem, and in its ascending position. the mast acts as a guide for the aeroplane as the 35' Figure 3 is a top plan viewof the toy,in gliding latteris being projected upwardly from the stem. position, but with the propeller omitted forjcon- ,Onthe upperend of the tubular post .is rotatably venience of illustration. M mounted a propeller which is provided with.-a Figure 4 is a sectional 'view, enlarged of the number of vanes 12, here shown as four in num- 40 tubular post or mast separated from the body of ber, ,and slightly turnedto provide the required 40 the plane, with the hub of thepropeller thereon, pitch that will enable the propeller; as it revolves, and showing by-dotted lines two of the vane-arms to lift the aeroplane, similar to the ascension of ofthe propeller, as'at line 4--4 of Figure 5. 1 f a gyrocopterr I 1 Figure'5 is a top plan view of the hub portion Each of the, vanes has an arm l3? secured there-- of the propeller. v r v to at H and these-arms are preferably fashioned 45 Figure 6 is a topjplan viewof the slide-projector of spring or resilient wire, in orderthat-t-hearm for the toy, and Figure 7 is'aside view, or rather may give should the vane strike. an 1obstruc a front view of the slide-projector; tion, and thus prevent damage or destruction to In the preferred form of my invention I employ the propeller;v l l r I a v a spiral stem I, which is fashioned from a flat The arms, at their inner ends, are soldered at 50 metal strip that is twisted in suitable manner to IE, to a circular disk l6 which is fashioned with form the spiral or screw stem, and at its lower a central. oblong slot I! of a size corresponding end the stem is fashioned with a handle or ring 2 to the cross area of the spiral stem, and this that is grasped in the left hand and held'or reslotted disk slips down over the stem as the aero- 65 tained, as the aeroplane is projected, upwardly, plane is lowered to position on the stem prepara- 25 stem, but with a fit 50 gyrocopter, also lifts the 70 the body of the aeroplane.

tory to flight. As the toy is projected upwardly along the stem the slotted disk is turned by its co-action with the stem, and the propeller is thereby revolved for the ascending movement of 5 the toy.

The disk is retained on the upper end of the post by means of a cap it, having a plurality of inwardly bent lugs I! that project over the circular edge of the disk for retaining it in position,

l and the under side of the cap is provided with an annular flange 20 that. fits up and under the annular flange 2| formed integral with the upper end of the post. As the post is preferably fashioned from aluminum, a bearing head 22 of hard 15 metal is provided within the cap and secured on the flange of the tube for frictional engagement as the disk rotates or revolves, and it will be apparent that the disk may revolve freely within the cap while it is resting between the retaining 20 lugs and the bearing head.

The aeroplane is projectedfrorn its spiral 'stem by theuse of a slide-projector 23, of spool shape and provided with a cylindrical bore 24 of sufiicient size to freely slide over'or along the spiral sufficiently close to prevent wabbling of the spool as it is slid up or down on the stern. On the upper end of the spool a ring or open circular plate 25' is fixed, and the ring is fashioned with a turned-up flange 26 having 3 a central notch 21 therein of a size and shape to fit over the lower edge of the nose 6 of the blade adjacent the sleeve l. The guide notch on the projector is employed to point the aeroplane in'thedirection it is desired the plane shall glide,

and of course the projector is turned withits notch toward that direction.

With the left hand holding the handle 2 and a the slideprojector grasped by the right hand, it will be seen that as the projector is slid upwardly,

0 away from the handle in Figure 1, and with a quick motion, the aeroplane is discharged from the stem, or projected, and the co-action of the disk IS with the stern revolves the propeller. Both the aeroplane and the slide-projector leave 45' the stem, but of course the projector is retained 6511188 1 and 2 are tilted automatically to the full angular position of Figures 1 and 2 as the aeroplane ascends, and to the dotted position of Figure 2 and thefull position of Figure 3, as the toy glides to the ground.

0Q The glider-wings extend transversely of the toy at its front end. and they are joined by a. bowed or crank-shaped pin 30 that passes through and has a bearing in the pivot hole ll of the nose 6. The pin it joins the glider-wings at their leading 65 .edges, and the pin is bowed to prevent lateral displacement of the wings with relation to the nose or bladeof the toy. The rear or following edges of the two wings are connected by a U-shaped yoke 32 that passes freely through the slot 9 of Thus it will be apparpropeller, in the nature of a ent that the two glider-wings will fall by gravity and the downward force of the air from the propeller to the retracted position of Figure 1 and the full line position of Figure 2, and these wings are also retained in this position as the aeroplane ascends thus imparting a forward motion at an approximate angle to the plane surface of the transverse wings.

At the end of the upward flight of the aeroplane, and when the aeroplane starts on the downward leg of its flight, it will be apparent that the glider wings will be turned upwardly to dotted line position of Figure 2 and full line position of Figure 3, by the pressure of air beneath the wings. In this position, and with the aid of the rear, fixed horizontal plane 4, the aeroplane is caused to glide for a considerable distance before falling to the ground.

The several parts of the aeroplane are arranged to insure symmetry and proper equilibrium in order that the toy may be projected upwardly in a horizontal position for its ascension flight, and these properly arranged parts also insure the proper position for a gliding-descent of the aeroplane.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In an aerial toy of the slide projected type, the combination with a spiral stem, of a tubular post on the toy, a horizontally disposed propeller rotatably mounted on the post, means on the propeller for co-action with the spiral stem for rotating the propeller, and a slide projector on the stem for projecting the toy.

2. In an aerial toy of the slide-projectedtype, the combination with a spiral stem, of a horizontally disposed propeller rotatabiy mounted on the toy, co-acting means on the propeller engaging the spiral stem for rotating the propeller, a slide-projector on the stem for projecting the toy, and apair of adjustable glide-wings on the toy for the purpose described.

3. In an aerial toy of the slide-projected type and means for projecting the toy from the stem, of a horizontally disposed propeller rotatably mounted on the toy and means co-acting with the stem for rotating the propeller as the toy is projected, a pair of transversely disposed glidewings, a pivot pin connecting said wings and supported in the toy, and guide means for said wings.

, 4. In an aerial toy of the slide projector type, the combination with a spiral stem, ,of a tubular post on the toy, a horizontally disposed propeller rotatably mounted on the post, means on the propeller for coaction with the spiral stem for rotating the propeller, a slide projector on the stem for projecting the toy, and a pair of adjustable glide wings on the toy for the purpose described.

5. In an aerial toy of the slide projector type, the combination with a spiral stern, of a tubular post on the toy, a horizontally disposed propeller rot-atably mounted on the post, means on the propeller for coaction with the spiral stem for rotating the propeller, a notched, slide projector on the stem for projecting the toy, and a pair of adjustable glide wings on the toy for the purpose described.

CLAUDE R. BUTCHER. 

